Montessori Conference

The prepared environment for the adolescents – young people of the third plane called by Dr. Montessori the Erdkinder (children of the land/earth) now consist of experiences of purposeful work, social organization, and the adult as a guide working side by side with the adolescents. This environment should respond to both the freely developing young person and the role of the individual in the society, both local and global. With the rapid changes happening in our societies these days: social, economical and political, Montessori offers a universal Plan of Study and Work for practical considerations of social organization as well as an Educational Syllabus. This “blueprint” is universal as it could be implemented anywhere around the world as it is based on a “land” concept. 

“But above all it is the education of adolescents that is important, because adolescence is the time when the child enters the state of manhood and becomes a member of society. If puberty is one of the physical sides of transitioning from an infantile to an adult state, there is also on the psychological side, a transition of the child who has to live in the family to the man who has to live in the society”. (Montessori Maria, From Childhood to Adolescence). 

Adolescence is the time of rapid physical growth/change, they come to school looking as children but they leave looking as adults. Physical work on land is definitely an answer for their growing bodies that need a variety of physical and intellectual work (the holistic approach of mind, body and spirit), they also need physical expression through sports. 

“Education should therefore include the two-forms of work, manual and intellectual, for the same person, and thus make it understood by practical experience that these two kinds complete each other and are equally essential to a civilized existence.” (Montessori Maria, From Childhood to Adolescence). 

Adolescence is the time of delicate physical transition, but it is also a delicate age, the age of doubts and hesitations, of violent emotions and of discouragements. Young people of this age need to fortify their self-confidence. 2 

“A valorization of his personality, in making himself capable of succeeding in life by his own efforts and on his own merits” (Montessori Maria, From Childhood to Adolescence). 

Therefore, Montessori gives adolescents the opportunity to do real, meaningful work, the ideal concept is to give them the farm to run with its economic consequences. Work on the farm (as a prepared environment) valorizes the individual, the adolescents. It gives them the chance to recognize and show their abilities and to contribute directly to society. 

Adolescents also have a tendency to creative work, therefore the Montessori Educational Syllabus offers a variety of Self – Expression activities via music, language and art. 

Adolescents are adult-like, in public, with visitors, being very well spoken, showing people around professionally, but they are emotionally still children. I will never forget these two lovely girls, Hershey students showing a group of us Orientation participants (adults) around seriously and professionally and then getting so excited (childlike) when telling us how much fun it is to play on their outdoor swings, the ones that they have independently constructed/built over the woodshed occupation. 

Dr. Montessori calls adolescents “social newborn”, and for him to understand the society which he is about to enter, we need to provide experiences of purposeful work and unique contributions (experiences of social organization). Adolescents want to work side by side with an adult, they need to be invited to the community, therefore our job is to prepare the environment where they could experience responsibility, freedom and economic independence, both community and then individual. 

“(…) to acquire economic independence (…) be able to succeed by his own efforts…to be in contact with the supreme reality of life” 

“(…) a need to be placed in a position to understand the role which he will play in the society” (Montessori Maria, From Childhood to Adolescence) 

By giving adolescents the opportunity to care for themselves, the farm environment and its community by providing work in the kitchen, in the woodshed (structures occupations), looking after the younger children, gardening etc. we are making them part of fundamental mechanisms of the society. Adolescents are in the sensitive period for justice and personal dignity, they will now develop spiritual equilibrium (moral training) by interacting with others collaboratively, they will now via residential life, farm, store, occupations and scientific and historical studies experience and learn about the social 3 

organization with its collaborative aspect. They will learn how to act towards some kind of social harmony. 

“The ‘sensitive period’ when they should develop the most noble characteristics that would prepare a man to be social. That is to say, a sense of justice and personal dignity” (Montessori Maria, From Childhood to Adolescence). 

There is no one role model for that, although Montessori Plan of Study and Work seems to be ideal for the adolescent to be placed in a position to understand the role which he will play in society. They need a variety of work, occupations, they need a choice and voice that they are often missing when they leave Montessori Adolescent Programs going to conventional schools. 

When working with early adolescents we are experiencing “an unexpected decrease of intellectual capacity” and low motivation levels. Adolescents are self-focused (it is all about me/them), they feel like they have this imaginary audience – they believe that we are looking at them and judging them at all times. Adolescent’s black and white thinking gradually turns to complex analysis, the ability to think how one thinks needs to be formed, their ability to empathy is strong at that time but it could turn out to be paranoia. 

We, Montessori adults, guides working side by side with the adolescents, have to be very patient and be sure that this is never about us. 

Adolescent developing as an individual and the member of a society will do lot of role playing, they will try on different masks. Their peers are their tribe, they are figuring out who do they get along with, who do they trust, their loyalty is to each other and it is very strong. But for all of that they need adult mentors, specialists, they need to work side by side with an adult, who should be offering modelling, walking away and coming back – that is a dance of Montessori adolescent adult for an adolescent development both individual and as a member of society. 

Adolescents for their transition from the child who has to live in the family to the man who has to live in a society, need a village of carrying people, the family provides the primary scaffolding, but they need to know they are loved by their guides, their specialists and that we have faith in them and in their future. They are writing their own story of one’s life in a society both local and global and need to leave a mark of their contribution. 

Montessori Plan of Study and Work with its practical considerations of social organization (residential life, farm occupations and store-market) and Educational Syllabus with self-expression via music, language and art, 4 

psychological development via moral development, mathematics and language and all the preparations for adult life studies is fundamental for the adolescent’s life in society. 

Montessori makes us Montessorians believe that the farm with its variety of occupations (about 12 prepared environments e.g. kitchen, organic garden, woodshed, structures, barn etc.) is a naturally prepared environment. Her Triad diagram in the third plane of development now changes to Adolescent/Adults as Materials/Experiences of Purposeful Work and Social Organization, with microeconomics and society. 

“We might call it a ’school of experience in the elements of social life”. She says. (Montessori Maria, From Childhood to Adolescence). The land, the farm provides very rich environment (food, shelter, economic activities, that requires knowledge in all of these areas), if a Montessori Adolescent Environment can not be a farm itself, we have to be creative and make sure it consists of 3 platforms the farm, the shop and the residence. The farm/land as a prepared environment provides multiple opportunities to interact within a social organization, with roles, with divisions of labor, with individual and collective contributions, it has activities and responsibilities to adult-like, provides adult-like challenges e.g. animals being born and dying or the money loss with with some micro economy project at some time, growing their own food, the work must be purposeful, not necessary made up by adults, farm life and seasons decide what the occupations are. The activities/occupations need to be head-hand balanced with appropriate relationships between physical and intellectual activity challenges. Adolescent contributions are recognized on the farm/land and valued by the community – potentially resulting in valorization, their activities on the farm have connections to economic endeavors. 

“The essential reform is this: to put the adolescent on the road to economic independence (…) for this it would result in a ‘valorization’ of his personality, in making him himself capable of succeeding in life by his own efforts and on his own merits, and at the same time would put him in direct contact with the supreme reality of social life” (Montessori Maria, From Childhood to Adolescence). 

The work on the farm provides practice in social life, in negotiating relationships, responsibilities, in sharing space, sharing duties, sharing time – all of these environments are multifunctional and opportunities are available for individuals to explore personal gifts and interests, but with the awareness of community context and community needs. The farm environment provides rich and diverse opportunities to integrate academic content with meaningful 5 

work. The farm is a limitless field for scientific and historical studies: when growing food, preserving it, cooking, selling, there is always a chance for study and work. 

“The school should become the place where the child may live in freedom, and this freedom must not be solely the intimate spiritual liberty of internal growth. The entire organism of the child, from his physiological, vegetative part to his motor activity ought to find in school the best conditions for development. (Montessori Maria, Spontaneous Activity in Education, 142) 

When I first began reading publications on Erdkinder Montessori philosophy and programs, I realized that I was actually raised this way. My parents moved to the country when I was 6 and thanks to that move, they managed to send two hard working daughters – to the University. This came after 12 years of living in a country during the difficult time of communism. While living in the country, I learned how to care for all animals on our farm and others in the surrounding areas, how to plant and keep a garden, how to complete and manage work orders and how to deal and cooperate with financial institutions and authorities. I also realized how our economic levels depend on climate conditions and weather in general. By watching and helping my parents with farming, I learned how order and exactness and being on time with everyday obligations is most important for one to achieve harmony in life. 

There were no trends for ecology at that time, but our family lived using many types of natural, sustainable practices, making repairs rather than throwing valuables away, growing and preserving our own vegetables and meat. My parents sent me to the University (I have chosen to study Law) ready for life as an adult. 

Erdkinder, to me, is definitely the answer to adolescence. I have experienced it myself and I am convinced that this farm/land environment responded well to freely developing individuals and my role in society. 

“Therefore, we must create an environment for the child wherein the child can carry out his experiments, an environment in which he finds the possibilities of carrying on his activities without being all the time chased away by adults (…) the aim is to present the child with opportunities for his activity. These are not schools, but houses of children” (Montessori Maria, Lecture on the Prepared Environment, Kodaikanal, India,1943) 

Malgosia Tarnowska